KARACHI: At least eight people were killed and 11 others injured when unknown armed men opened indiscriminate firing on an 'Astana' here on Sunday.

Police said some six armed men riding motorcycles came to the Astana of Peer Meharban Shah Baba in Sector-12D, Baldia Town, and opened fire on the people present there.Peer Meharban Shah was meeting his followers when six armed men riding on three motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire on people present in the Astana, killing eight people and injuring 11 others.

During investigation it was found that the Astana belonged to retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tikka Khan who died a few years ago. Tikka Khan was a arrested. One of the victims was the resident of Shershah while the rest were the residents of Baldia town.

The deceased were identified as Dilbar Gul, Mohammed Ashraf, Saddiq Khan, Nazar Mohammed, Mohammed Moin and his daughter Zainab Moin, Razzaq Deen and an unidentified man while the injured were identified as Saleem, Tanveer Ahmed, Ameer Hamza, Mohammed Abbas, Sajjad Ahmed, Munawar, Yasir, Abdul Jabbar, Mohammed Khan and Tahir. During the attack Peer Syed Meharban Shah of the Astana also received injuries. Sources said a DSP Tikka Khan (late), who was a follower of Peer Meharban Shah Baba, had established an Astana over the name of Peer Meharban Shah before a decade. Peer Meharban Shah, having another Astana in Thatta, used to visit his Karachi Astana occasionally to meet his followers.

Meanwhile, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Sunday distanced itself from the attack in Karachi in which eight people were killed. "We are not responsible for the attack on the guesthouse of the former police official," TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told reporters from an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Nadeem Qadri was gunned down within the limits of Iqbal Market police station. The murder took place at Sunday night at Orangi Town near Z-2 Stop. Iqbal Market SHO Tasdeeq Waris informed that Nadeem was the resident of the same area and he was outside his residence when two armed men riding on a motorcycle opened fire at him and fled. He was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The deceased had received multiple bullet wounds in his chest and head which became the cause of his death. Investigators said Nadeem Qadri was a worker of Sunni Tehrik and termed the incident target killing.

End.

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